Rescuing Carter
by cagiant246
Summary: My take on how Carter makes it back to her family. Carter wakes up and realizes Lori has taken her away from her family once again. This time though Carter knows where she belongs and it's with her parents and siblings. She desperately tries to get back to them by leaving clues for her mom to find. Mostly family and how they all deal with her being gone again.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hi everyone, so I really shouldn't be starting a different story with my limited time but this would not leave me alone. Like the summary said it's my take on how Carter makes it back with her family. I'll try my best to answer some of questions that were left unanswered in the finale and incorporate them into it, but this is mainly about how everyone deals with her being gone and what they will do to get her back. Who knows how far I'll take it, it just depends on how much love it gets from you readers, if there's interest I'll keep going I do have a plan for this story. Alright that's it, happy reading.

Disclaimer: I don't own Finding Carter or any characters from it. This is purely for fun.

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><p>"Carter! Carter!" Elizabeth yelled running out of the back of the coffee shop. <em>No, no, no this cannot be happening again<em>, the thought the only thing running through her mind, everything else a blur. She ran her hand through her hair, distraughtly looking around but not making out much, the tears clouding her vision.

"Carter!...Carter… Cart…" her shouts turning into sobs. Her breaths were uneven as she tried to choke back all the emotions and memories that came flooding back. It was all too much and soon she was doubled over, her hands on her knees unable to move, barely able to keep herself standing.

"Elizabeth," Kyle shouted as he came running from around the corner. He tried to get her to straighten up but the attempt was futile. "Which way did they go? Did you see?"

She shook her head and he looked up to survey the surrounding alleyway. No obvious clues let him know which way they had headed so he pulled out his phone to get a general search started.

"Listen I need all roads leading out of town within a 15 mile radius shut down and checkpoints set up. Alert all train and bus stations; give information out to TSA and all the news stations. Lori Stevens does not get away," he yelled the orders to the person on the other end.

"Carter," Elizabeth whispered to herself. The memories of Carter calling her mom came rushing to her, once filled with joy they now seemed to bring sadness and guilt. "I told her I would protect her, that I was going to catch Lori"

Kyle turned back to her and tried to reassure her, "We are going to find her, they aren't going to make it far." Elizabeth desperately nodded back; trying to convince herself what he was telling her was true. The motion only caused her to lose more control and she soon found herself crumpled in Kyle's arms, almost on the ground.

"I'm sorry Carter."

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><p>It was dim, the only light coming from an old lamp, and it took a moment for her eyes to make out her surroundings. She was confused. Where was she, Carter asked herself. Her head was throbbing and she turned to see a bottle of water on the table next to the bed she was lying on.<p>

Slowly she sat up and the motion caused her world to spin until her equilibrium came back a few moments later. As she drank a few gulps she looked around and took it all in. Clearly she was in a motel room, and a cheap one at that. The floral bedspread was scratchy, the carpet looked like it hadn't been vacuumed in months, and the walls were dingy with years of built up grime.

What happened, she silently asked herself, still in a fog and unsure of how she ended up where she had. At that moment the locks on the door began to turn and it was thrust open, sunlight pouring into the dark room causing Carter to shield her eyes until it was shut again.

"Ah good you're up we need to get moving," Lori said to her as she set down a few of the bags that were hanging on her arm. She moved to the table and began to sweep everything into the backpack on the chair, completely unaware how disoriented the young girl was.

"Mom?" Carter asked, clearly confused as to why she was with her, but the word triggered something.

"_Here you go," a man said to her, sliding a cup of coffee across the table._

"_Oh I didn't order this," she replied, turning from the window to look up at him. _

"_It's from your mom," he explained before turning around to leave her be._

_She looked back out the window to the center of the park, where her mom was waiting, and smiled before bringing the mug to her lips and taking a sip._

And suddenly everything snapped back into place. The fake therapy session with Lori, the attempt to capture her at the town square, the coffee in the small café.

"Carter," Lori said loudly, this time really focusing on her. "Did you hear me, we need to get going."

"You drugged me," Carter said back, astounded by what she had managed to remember and piece together.

Lori let out a soft sigh and began to move towards her. Carter jumped up from the bed and stepped further back from the woman, the trust and love she once held for her now gone and replaced with disgust and a small amount of fear.

"Hey don't be like that," Lori said, taken aback by Carter's movement away from her. "It was the only way I could get the two of us together again, the way it was always supposed to be."

"This was never how it was supposed to be. I was never meant to be yours and you…you just took me, and now you did it again," she said back, her voice raising with each word. The look on Lori's face after her words made her retract some of the harshness in her tone as she tried to stabilize the crumbling relationship between them. "You will always be a part of my life, but please let me go back to my family, to where I belong"

"You don't belong with them, you are MY daughter," this time Lori's voice was the one that was raising. "I am your mom, not that other woman. Now, like I said earlier we need to get going, so grab up your stuff and let's move."

Carter remained rooted where she was, her head slowly shaking back and forth, tears built up in her eyes. If she had been given the option of running away with Lori months ago she would have gone in a heartbeat, but standing there in that room all she could think about were her parents, Taylor, and Grant. All she wanted was to get back to them. She wanted to get back to the safety she felt in her mom's arms, to the warmth of her dad's reassuring smiles, to Taylor's home cooking, and to Grant's witty charm.

Lori let out a large sigh as Carter remained still before she spoke up again, "Carter, we can do this the easy or the hard way. What's it gonna be?"

Carter crossed her arms defiantly, "I'm not going with you anywhere until you at least let me talk with them. Just one phone call to let them know I'm okay."

"I don't think so, not here, we're too close," Lori replied. It seemed like they were at a stand still, neither one wanting to give into the other but eventually Lori spoke up. "Carter I have a plan. You need to trust me again, one more time. I will let you call those people but we are too close and we need to get moving. The offer for that single call and you coming willingly expires in five seconds and then I am dragging you out of here. Five…four…three…"

"Fine," Carter finally agreed. Her tone made her come off as compliant, but she had started to scheme a plan together. "I just need to go to the bathroom first."

Lori nodded as she glanced at her watch and Carter rushed into the bathroom. She closed and locked the door and began to quickly search through her pockets. She let out a breath when she managed to find a pen and an old gum wrapper. It was small but it would have to work.

She knew she didn't have much more time before Lori became suspicious so Carter jotted down a note before folding it up and putting it back in her pocket.

_Mom,_

_I'm okay. Please find me. I love you._

_Carter_

Makin it seem like she had actually used the bathroom, she flushed the toilet and washed her hands. Before she left she took a deep breath in to steady all her emotions and then walked back out into the room. She needed a place in plain sight to hide the note and she scanned the room, her eyes settling on the table lamp, before she tentatively smiled over a Lori's watchful eye.

"Ready?" Lori asked.

"Sure," she simply replied. Slowly she walked over to the door before she stopped, "Oh the water bottle, I want it for the road."

Carter walked to the table and angled herself so Lori couldn't see her slip the note under the base of the lamp, leaving only a small amount of the corner exposed. She turned back around and held up the bottle before walking back over.

Lori threw her arm over Carter's shoulders and pulled her tightly to her side, to which the girl tried to pull away from the contact slightly. "Isn't this going to be fun baby. Just the two of us on an adventure. Back together to take on the world."

She plastered a fake smile on her face as the older woman looked down at her. Her mind was consumed with thoughts on the past about how, although she didn't remember it, she had been in this position before. This time though she wasn't going to let it be 13 years before she saw her family again. This time her mom would find her because she had another ally, herself.

It was her family that would get her through this, not the woman that clung around her shoulders and only called herself that. No, she was going to get back to them that she was sure of.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Hi all. So I was really surprised to see all the traffic this story got, maybe because there aren't many Finding Carter stories out there but nevertheless it made me want to continue. So here is the next chapter. The italics are used to indicate a flashback. I tried to get everyone in this chapter, Grant is the only one not in it but I haven't forgotten about him I promise. I tried to make things as clear as possible but if there are questions don't hesitate to ask. Happy reading!

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><p>Their home had turned into FBI headquarters. The living room that not too long ago had been used for fort building and movie night was turned into the central hub of the investigation. Computers and phone taps took up every possible desk and table. Wires ran across the ground in every direction, making everyone cautious of their step. It was loud and chaotic, and as Elizabeth and David stood by they both realized their greatest nightmare was replaying before them.<p>

The noise and commotion was overwhelming and unfortunately familiar. Though she tried hard not to let her mind slip back to that dark day, the memory replayed anyway.

_It had been a normal day full of hard work but she was moving up, getting to where she wanted to be in her career. Her smile was wide the entire drive home. She had managed to get off early and the surprise of the two presents in the trunk made her want to get home a little quicker._

_That smile vanished. Those happy thoughts lost. Replaced with a look of anguish and a feeling of dread. Police cars lined the street, yellow tape wrapped around the yard, officers held people back at the barricade while taking orders over their walkies. The overload of emotions made her numb as she ran up to the front of the house and through the door. The activity within jostled her back to a responsive state._

"_David?" she yelled over the noise as she frantically scanned the crowded living room. Elizabeth turned round a few times but he was nowhere in sight and her panic set in a little deeper._

"_Mommy!" She heard at the same time she felt someone cling to her leg. A mess of blonde hair near her knees let her know it was Taylor and she scooped her up. Her daughter's normally bright blue eyes were slightly red from crying and she could hear her sniffling as she held her close._

"_Shh baby girl it's okay. It's okay," Elizabeth said trying to comfort them both._

_David walked around the corner into the hall only moments later and she let out a breath. She only needed to see one more person before she could let go of the fear that still hovered, but as he neared her it only grew instead. He seemed lost._

"_David, thank god. Where's Lyndon? What is all of this?"_

_As he met her gaze she could see it in his eyes, the hurt and despair, and she knew. Slowly she shook her head as her free hand made its way up to her mouth as she tried to keep her sobs in. It was in that moment that the world froze. She stopped breathing, clung to Taylor as tight as she could, and she felt it._

_Her heart breaking._

David could feel his wife trembling under his arm and he tried to pull her closer but everything was all too much for her and she slipped away from him to head for the kitchen.

"I need to get some air," she said hurrying out of the room, leaving him alone.

"Lizzy wait…" he yelled back but she had already disappeared. He ran his hand over his face and took a deep breath in. As much as he wanted to go after her, he knew they both needed a little space to find their footing in this free fall.

Elizabeth raced into the kitchen and once in the silence she leaned against the wall with her eyes closed, trying to get control over her breathing. After a minute she opened her eyes and was startled to see she had company.

"Oh Taylor!" she exclaimed as her hand jumped to her heart. "You gave me quite the scare. What are you doing in here?"

Pots and pans were strewn about and Elizabeth could see that her normally organized daughter was flustered, and understandably so. Which was why she wasn't surprised when she began to ramble.

"I didn't know what to do and I figured people might get hungry but I wasn't sure what everyone wanted so I just started to make everything and…" Taylor trailed off as it became harder to speak through her choked back emotions.

Elizabeth was quick to her daughter's side and in an instant she had her wrapped in her arms. She ran her fingers through Taylor's hair as she felt her shake in her embrace from the sobs that wracked her body.

"Hey there it's alright. Shh everything is going to be okay," she tried to reassure.

"I was awful to her when she got here… we just started to understand each other… please mom you need to find her," the young girl managed to squeak out between sobs.

She didn't think it was possible but her heart broke even more from Taylor's pleas. "I will, I promise. We are going to find her and bring her back home. I'm going to make sure of it. She's coming back."

Slowly Taylor began to calm down but neither one made a move to break free from one another. Both afraid that they'd lose the other if they let go; Elizabeth afraid to lose another daughter never to be found, Taylor afraid to lose her mother again to the dark abyss of never ending searching.

They remained that way until an officer poked his head in looking for Elizabeth. "Detective Wilson, an agent would like to speak with you, ask a few questions."

Sensing her mother's hesitation to leave her, Taylor broke free from their hug and nodded. "I'm fine, go. Really mom, please," she told her, gaining an unconvinced look from the older woman, but a sure nod assured her.

"I'll be right back," Elizabeth told her before pressing a kiss to Taylor's forehead.

As Elizabeth and the officer walked back to the other room, David entered the kitchen. Taylor had gone back to mixing something in a bowl, unaware that had come in, and David watched her try to whisk her worry away with limited success.

"Your mom is right. We are going to get Carter back this time. Once we do though I'm not sure we will have anything left to eat, it looks like you've cooked most of the kitchen," he said with a small smile, which she returned.

"You know, you did something similar when Carter was taken the first time," he continued, his voice soft. It was a memory he had tried hard to forget and never thought he would be telling her but it slipped out.

"Really? I don't remember."

David nodded and went on. "You and Carter, Lyndon then, had a play kitchen you both absolutely loved. Neither of you ever wanted to stop playing in it. You always pretended to cook while Lyndon was always the one eating. After your sister disappeared we would always find you there cooking away, and every chance you could you would ask when Lyndon was coming home because you had made her something special."

Tears had begun to form in his eyes but he continued with the story. "You wouldn't let anyone take her spot during your tea parties either. That old plastic tea cup you have on your dresser, the one that holds all your hair bands and other trinkets, that was Carter's."

"I didn't know that," Taylor replied, thinking of all the times she had tossed something into that cup.

David forced a smile on his face not wanting to show how much pain the memory brought up, how much he feared that memories would all he would be left with again.

"How about we clean this place up a bit," he suggested, walking over to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Taylor leaned against him and nodded before they silently went to work tidying up the kitchen. They remained silent the entire time, each lost in their own thoughts but both thinking about the same person. Carter.

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><p>Elizabeth walked back into the chaos following the officer to an older gentleman sitting at a computer near the front of the room. As they approached him he caught sight of their movement and stood, extending his had which Elizabeth shook before sitting down.<p>

"Detective Wilson, hi. I'm Special Agent Louis Sands, I'll be the lead in finding your daughter and getting her back safely to you and the rest of your family," he said. His voice was stern and she wondered how hardened he had become through the many cases of his career.

"Please, call me Elizabeth."

"Alright, Elizabeth I just need to ask you a couple of questions. We got most of the information from your partner, but there are a few things I'd like to hear from you."

She nodded and he pulled out a folder, rifling through some papers before coming to a list of names.

"These are all the alias' we have for Lori Stevens, are there any additional names that you are aware of?"

She scanned over the list, each name familiar. "No. All the ones I know about are on this list."

"Do you know if Carter has any alias' that you were unaware of?" he asked, his focus back on the computer not catching the fire in her eyes at the slight insinuation that she didn't know her own daughter.

"No she doesn't. Only Carter Stevens or Lyndon Wilson."

"I understand Lori made contact with you recently. Was there any indication of where she might have been headed?"

"If there were don't you think I would have told you," she snapped back, becoming irritated by how the conversation seemed to be getting them nowhere closer to finding Carter.

"Okay," he could sense her irritation. "I just needed to ask. And you may not like this question, but again I need to ask. Is there any possibility that Carter went willingly with Lori?"

Elizabeth jumped from the seat, furious with the man in front of her. She could barely contain her frustration with him to get an answer out. "No! She didn't just leave with her. That psychopath kidnapped her again and is taking her who knows where. If you had just read the statement from the café owner you would know Carter was disoriented, like she had been drugged not able to leaving willingly, and we could be out there looking for her rather than wasting time in here with these pointless questions."

She was out of breath from the rant and tears had filled her eyes fore the countless time that day. Special Agent Sands stood up from his chair to try and calm her back down, "Look Elizabeth I know it seems like we are getting nowhere but…"

There was a sudden commotion at one of the computers near the other end of the living room. A woman Elizabeth hadn't recognized before barked orders to a few officers, causing them to immediately scatter with most of them heading out the front door, before walking over to them.

The woman leaned in, whispering something into his ear and his face became more serious that before. He grabbed his jacket and threw it on in one swift motion before checking he had his gun and badge in their proper spots. Concern grew on Elizabeth's face, still not knowing what was going on, but that concern turned to hope as the sentence left his lips.

"They tracked down a stolen car near a motel the next town over, possibly the one Lori took Carter in…"

She was vaguely aware that he was still speaking to her, briefly going over what the plan was, but she had tuned him out. Everything was moving in slow motion but her thoughts were spinning a mile a minute.

They had found a car, found a possible lead. They actually had a lead unlike 13 years ago. Carter could be close by. She was getting her daughter back.

Completely lost in her thoughts she didn't see that Agent Sands had made his way to the front door, still holding it open and ready to head over to look into the stolen car.

"Elizabeth…" he yelled but got no response.

"Detective Wilson…" he tried again and successfully got her attention. "Are you coming?"

"Of course," she replied and they were out the door and on their way. Only one thing on Elizabeth's mind the entire ride, Carter.

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><p>If she hadn't been so concerned with getting back home, she would have been impressed with the amount of planning Lori had put into making sure they wouldn't be caught.<p>

They had ditched the car they arrived at the motel with, though she didn't really remember much about it, for a black one that looked like an unmarked police car that detectives use when on duty. Lori had told her that no one in law enforcement looks at cars similar to their own. When they stopped Lori paid with cash and kept her head down. Carter had still been unable to grab anyone's attention to alert them.

Silent. That's what the drive had been. Early into it Lori had tried to make conversation but Carter had decided to give her the cold shoulder, she was not going to make this easy. But now she was curious and wanted some answers.

"Where are we going?" she asked still looking out the window.

"Where's the fun in telling you, no it's an adventure. All I will let you know is we are going North," she replied, cheerful that there was some conversation happening.

"I got that," Carter muttered to herself. The highway signs had already given her that information.

"And as a real adventure we need to find some cool things to tell stories about later, so keep your eyes peeled for anything. Like maybe we could find the world's largest ball of string or a stand that sells three foot corndogs, let's just have some fun," Lori said while fiddling with the radio.

"I don't want to do any of that. I just want to talk with my family. When do I get to call them?"

The older woman let out a large sigh, clearly fed up with all the talk about her "family", she was her family but she knew she had promised. "Soon okay, we're still to close. I promise I will let you know when you can alright. Now look in the glove box, there are a couple of things in there for you."

Carter opened the small compartment up and pulled out an envelope. It was bulky and she could tell there was a new I.D. and passport inside and the it made her feel sick. She knew by using these it would make everything much harder to track, much harder for her mom to find her.

"Carly Stephenson, isn't that a little close to my name already?" Carter asked reading all the information on the license.

"That's the point. We are hiding in plain sight. Plus it's close enough that you shouldn't have a problem responding to that name in the beginning, once you've had it for a while you'll get used to it," Lori explained.

"And what's your name then?"

"Well to you it's still mom, but everyone else will know me as Lauren Stephenson," Lori said as she turned over to her and gave her a smile.

Carter forced one back in return before turning back to look out the window. There was no way that Lori was her mom anymore, that woman was gone and she felt like a stranger. Her mom was out there looking for her, and as Carter looked down at the new identity she knew her search just got more difficult.

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><p>And for the future I will still be using Carter and Lori as their names I just wanted to give you their alias'.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Wow! Thank you everyone for your kind reviews, all the follow/favorites, and for just reading this story. The response I have gotten is beyond anything I had imagined when I first started, so thanks again. Okay onto the chapter. It's shorter than I intended but I really wanted to focus on Carter next chapter so I cut off the end and you'll see what happens in the next update. With that said the next update may be a little ways off. I have the GRE for grad school coming up so a lot of my free time will be studying instead of writing unfortunately. So read and enjoy, and who knows maybe I'll cut out some time if those reviews keep rolling in. Happy reading.

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><p>"You're sure?" Elizabeth asked again, desperately hoping that this time the answer would be different.<p>

The man looked up from his magazine and met her eyes for the first time before letting out a groan, his face showing he was annoyed with her.

"Look lady I don't know how many ways I gotta tell ya I ain't seen that girl before," he replied pushing the photo back across the counter.

Elizabeth stepped back and waited, watching as Agent Sands and some of his men finally made their way into the small main office of the motel. She wished she hadn't jumped out of the car so quickly, ignoring Sands' orders for her to stay put, because now she looked unprofessional. But it was her daughter, her little girl, and she needed to find her.

Agent Sands walked by giving her a slight look before making his way up to the counter. The man had gone back to reading and Sands slid another picture to him. Without taking his eyes off the article he began to speak.

"Again? The answer's the same, ain't never seen her."

"Look again," Sands said. The deeper voice startled him and looked up to see a new pair of eyes staring at him, these sterner, and more cold. The man nodded and picked up the photo.

It was different than the other one he had been shown. This one of an older woman, not the teenager he had expected to see once again. He held the photo closer and began to nod, slowly at first but more steady as he became surer. Elizabeth watched and moved closer, her heart rate quickening as she hoped he could give them some information.

"Ya, ya. I seen this one before, but she was blonde. Real pretty. Room 133 around back…" there was more on his tongue but Agent Sands cut him off.

"The key for the room, give it to me," he said sternly, jutting out his hand.

"Don't ya need like a warrant or something…"

"Now!" he boomed, slamming his hand down on the counter. The noise made the man jump and he scrambled to get the key card over to the agent.

"Just don't break anything…" he trailed off as he realized no one was listening and watched them race out of the office and down the hall.

Agent Sands lead the charge to the room. Four of his guys followed and Elizabeth brought up the rear. It killed her that she wasn't the one up front, that she wasn't calling the shots in the most important search of her life. All she wanted was to be the one that rescued Carter, the one Carter saw first, but she knew she was only there as a courtesy so she hung back.

133 finally came into view and Elizabeth wondered if Lori had requested a room near the back. It was secluded and dim, perfect for getting by unnoticed. The silver car sat in a parking spot not too far away and the sight of it made her go back to the previous day. If only she could have caught a glimpse of it, gotten a few details, maybe her daughter would be home safe already.

She shook the thought from her mind as Sands and his men took their spots around the door. A few hand signals were exchanged and before she could decipher what they meant, the key had been used to open the door and the men were already rushing inside. Elizabeth listened in agony as they shouted through the room.

"FBI! FBI!" came from each of them, all yelling at different times making the three letters sound like a jumbled mess. Then came silence and she felt like it went on forever before her heart dropped as a single word.

"Clear," Agent Sands yelled before making his way back outside. He pulled out his phone and made a call to someone she assumed was sitting in her living room. "Get me a team down here. I want that room turned over. I want to know if anyone saw something that can keep this lead alive."

The rest of the agents filed out and headed over to where Sands stood, awaiting more orders, and Elizabeth took the moment to slip into the room. She took a deep breath just before going in. It was harder this time. Knowing that Carter had been here, knowing they had been so close, knowing she was failing her again. But now she needed to focus, it was the only way she would her back.

Her eyes scanned the room as she tried to pick up the most obvious clues. There was a slight dip in the bed and the covers were ruffled so she made the assumption someone had been lying there. A picture of Carter passed out, drugged, popped into her head before she waved it away. One of the two chairs was tilted and pushed slightly away, making her think something had been set down on it. Not too much more stuck out. The room had been used as a point to quickly recoup and then get away, and Elizabeth feared they weren't going to get anything useful.

She continued to slowly walk through the room. It was dirty and dark, and she couldn't believe Carter had been forced to stay there. There was a filth to everything. Nothing remotely clean. A thin layer of dust and grime clung to everything possible, and that's when she noticed it. On the table, an area near the lamp that was lighter that the rest of it. A spot that hadn't been dirtied.

She moved towards the table, trying to keep her emotions in check but her heart continued to beat faster the closer she got. Her fingers were trembling as she reached out and carefully pulled out the paper. An initial wave of disappointment ran through her as she realized it was just and old gum wrapper, but then she flipped it over.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she read it over. It was simple but it was all she needed. Reassurance. She kept reading it over and over until the short sentences became jumbled around and her emotions started to get the best of her. I love you. Mom. Find me.

To steady herself her eyes lingered on that first word. Mom. She still wasn't used to hearing it come from Carter and that bothered her. Each time she heard it, she treasured the sound, treasured the thought that she had earned the title once again, but she shouldn't have lost it in the first place, and she wasn't going to lose it again.

A different team of agents began to make their way into the room and Elizabeth clutched the note tighter, not wanting to part with the small piece of paper that made her feel closer to her daughter. The paper that gave her hope and, if possible, extra drive to get her back. But an agent eventually made their way over and took it as evidence but not before she read it again.

I'm okay. Find me. I love you.

"I love you Carter and I will get you back. I promise," she whispered to herself and hoped that somehow Carter could hear it.

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><p>It was a typical morning. No drama or bickering, just them as a family. Taylor and Grant sat at the table with their breakfasts. Her Dad sat next to them and read the newspaper. Her Mom leaned against the counter, sipping her coffee and checking her emails. Carter watched them through the doorway for a moment before making her way in, heading directly for the pitcher of orange juice.<p>

"Morning," Carter said to them all after taking a large gulp from her glass.

She stood there confused and stunned as they carried on as if they didn't hear her. And then it clicked and she started to chuckle, "Oh, really good one guys, but I'm not even late this morning."

Again she was ignored and her concern turned into actual fear.

"Hun are you working here today?" Elizabeth asked not looking up.

"No, I've got to meet with Toby to discuss a few things," he replied after folding up the paper. He looked at his watch and stood from the table. "And I've got to get going or I'm going to be late."

"We need to get moving also. Taylor, Grant you guys ready?" she asked them.

"Yeah," they replied in unison before grabbing their backpacks from the ground.

Carter tried to yell but suddenly couldn't speak. She tried to run after them but found herself stuck. Tears flooded her eyes as she watched each of them disappear out the door, one by one. Her Dad. Taylor. Grant. Her Mom. Each of them gone. She was alone, trapped, forced to be away from them. And then the door slammed shut and it went black.

Startled she sat up quickly, gasping for air as her heart beat out of her chest. It took her a moment to realize where she was. A car. Carter looked over to see Lori driving and everything crashed into her.

"You okay?" the woman asked her.

"Yeah," she replied with a nod and turned to face the passing landscape.

It was just a dream. A terrible dream. They weren't gone, but she was. How was it possible to escape one nightmare and yet be thrust into another? One she couldn't get out of by simply waking up, one far worse that that which just played in her head.

She needed some air, some space away from the woman next to her.

"I need to use the bathroom. Can we stop soon?"

Lori looked down at the dash, the needle beginning to get near empty and she wanted to stretch her legs as well so she nodded.

"Yeah a short break sounds good. We can grab some snacks before we hit the main leg of our trip."

Carter faced forward and her mind began to race. She wanted this to be the end of her trip, not the beginning and so she began to think. She only had until they reached the next gas station to plot and plan, it was possibly her only shot and she needed it to pay off.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Hi all sorry it's been awhile. I've been super swamped with school and life and every other excuse out there, but things are beginning to settle down so hopefully faster updates (although I can't promise anything). So this chapter is all Carter. I left a bit of mystery for you all to solve as well, as you'll see there is a clue that needs some deciphering. Hopefully you enjoy. It's a bit longer and I hope it makes up for the length of time between updates a little. As always reviews are appreciated. Thanks and happy reading.

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><p>It came into sight sooner than she expected. Only minutes had passed since she had asked if they could pull over, not nearly enough time to come up with anything when the gas station came into view. Carter knew it would be the one Lori would choose. It was a "mom and pop" station, free of cameras and that happily took cash for everything.<p>

She began to scramble for any reasonable idea that came to mind but she was drawing a blank and silently she cursed at herself for not coming up with something before deciding to speak up. But as they pulled into the parking lot of the station the sight of two police cars gave her hope. Hope that she'd get more time to think of something, but more importantly hope that her ordeal would end right then and there.

Carter watched out of the corner of her eye as Lori tensed in her seat. Her knuckles going white as she squeezed the steering wheel tighter and her eyes growing slightly wider. But just as quick her face of worry turned into one of confidence.

The officers had spotted them pull in through the glass doors, had even raised a hand and given them a friendly wave before turning back to talking with the cashier. Lori pulled out her phone and pretended to make a call, making it seem like that was the reason they had stopped, just for good measure in case they were still being watched. As they pulled back onto the road Carter became filled with a mixture of relief and disappointment, but quickly swatted the emotions away to continue thinking up a plan.

They continued to drive a little further and Lori watched as the fuel needle dipped closer and closer to empty until the light turned on and she knew she had to pull over soon. She silently cursed to herself, as all she saw were commercial gas stations and knew she would be forced to fill up at one of them. It was her first slip up and she hated the feeling that it could possibly get her caught.

Slowly they pulled over into the heavily lit and recorded station, and Lori could see Carter's eyes seem to light up. Just another thing she would have to keep a watchful eye on for the next ten minutes until they could get back on the road again. Carter quickly jumped out of the car as soon as Lori turned off the engine and the woman hopped out after her with just as much speed.

"Carter no funny business," she said sternly. Carter's face had a defiant look to it so she made a threat. "If you try something, no phone call."

It had the desired effect as Carter's shoulders seemed to slump slightly, the mischievous glint in her eye gone from sight. They walked in together, Lori headed for the counter to pre-pay for gas while Carter roamed the aisles, a plan still absent from her mind. She carefully eyed the cameras though, wanting to make sure one of them caught her full face while trying to be discrete so Lori wouldn't see.

Carter looked up from the ample choices of chips displayed in front of her to see the cashier striking up a conversation with Lori, much to her displeasure. It was then that she caught sight of the lottery display and an idea clicked into place. She raced over and grabbed a sheet and pencil before going to the back wall near the drinks and hastily began to bubble it in.

3-1-18-12-25-19

The number 19 filled in for the Powerball space. Once she finished darkening the numbers in she moved on to another.

12-1-21-18-5-14

She looked up into the glass, trying to see Lori in the reflection and could see that she was wrapping up at the front, so Carter hurried even more. The last one was the toughest, there were repeats and it was longer that the previous two, but she had faith her mom would figure it out, so she bubbled the numbers in best she could.

19-20-5-6-14-19

Again the 19 sat in the Powerball slot and she was just able to stuff the paper in her pocket before she felt Lori behind her. She turned to face her and gave her a quick smile, trying to cover any tell that may have been on her face.

"Can I get a drink?"

"Of course," Lori replied, placing a quick kiss on Carter's head. Carter had to force herself to not flinch away. It was creepy that the woman could go from threatening to loving in such a quick turn around. Lori spoke up again. "I'm surprised you don't have five bags of gummy bears in your arms."

She had always thought that gummy bears had been their thing, that Lori had been the one to turn her on to the candy but soon after being home Carter had realized that it was in fact her third birthday that had made her fall in love with them. Her grandpa had slipped her and Taylor a few just before they had to go to bed and from then on she was hooked. Now it only reminded her of the fact that there were still numerous things she still didn't know about Lori and her family as well.

"I guess I just don't have a sweet tooth right now," she replied with a shrug. She grabbed for an iced tea in the refrigerator and turned to face Lori, sticking her hand out. "Can I have some money?"

Lori hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should allow Carter to go up to the front and talk with the cashier, and it didn't go unnoticed by the girl.

"Please, mom," she tried. The word tasted vile on her tongue, it sounded strange saying it back to the woman in front of her. It sounded wrong, but she said it as unfaltering as possible in hopes Lori would buy it.

"Yeah here," the woman replied, a grin on her face as she pulled a twenty out of her purse. "Grab me one of those bags of gummy bears anyway, huh?"

Carter nodded and she split away from her to head down the candy aisle. With no one else in the store, the clerk had taken to watching them and so Lori was cautious in getting Carter's attention back for a brief moment, not wanting to use any names.

"Hey," she said in a loud whisper. Carter looked up. "Remember what I said outside."

"Yeah, got it."

And with that Lori headed back out to the car to fuel up, while Carter grabbed the candy and made her way to the front counter. The guy was young, not too much older than her, and his appearance made it look like he wasn't going to be moving up in the world anytime soon.

"So, on a road trip with your mom?"

Now was her chance to spill everything out. Let this guy know that she had been kidnapped, again. Tell him to call the cops. But there was something holding her back, a feeling that Lori had something more up her sleeve that Carter didn't want her to let loose. Something she knew would be let out if she said anything, so she nodded and let the moment pass her by.

"Something like that," she mumbled.

"Anything else?" he asked after he scanned the few snacks she had grabbed.

"Oh yeah," she said pulling out the lottery paper. "This too, please."

"Got an I.D?"

"Excuse me."

"An I.D. You need to be eighteen to buy a ticket, so I need to see something that has your age on it," he explained.

Carter pulled out the fake one Lori had given her earlier, but it still only said she was seventeen.

"Look please, I'm really not trying to win. I just need to buy this ticket with these numbers," she told him, trying not to sound desperate but there was a hint of pleading in her voice.

"Rules are rules, and…" he tried but she cut him off.

"What if I pay you to buy it for me. You look over eighteen and who couldn't use a little extra money. Please."

"Alright fine," he gave in, taking the paper from her and started to punch the numbers into the computer. "I don't think you're going to even be close to winning with these."

"I don't care. Just make sure you put them in right," she replied, to which he gave her a nod and shrug.

After it printed out he slid the ticket across the counter and she paid him for everything. As she turned Carter looked up directly as the camera above the door, pausing for a second before heading to the exit. Just before went to push the door open, she tucked the ticket between a few Twinkies in a display and hoped a camera with a different angle caught the action.

Lori was already finished with pumping the gas and she jumped into the driver's seat, eager to get out of the area, once she caught sight of Carter. The girl slipped into the passenger side, but kept the door open, which also kept them from going anywhere.

"Carter what are you doing? We need to get moving again. Close the door," Lori told her. There was a sharpness to her tone and Carter could tell she was desperate to leave. An emotion that played to Carter's position perfectly.

"Not until you tell me," she said looking straight ahead.

"Tell you what?"

Carter turned and faced Lori. The girl's eyes slightly narrowed, her mouth tightened. Everything about her expression showed how serious she was.

"Tell me the truth. I want…no, I deserve to know everything. I'm tired of being lied to and I want to hear why you took me in the first place," she finished and prepared to fight Lori's refusals, but was surprised when the woman started to nod.

"Fine, I'll tell you. Close the door and on the drive I'll tell you everything you want."

Carter gave her a skeptical look. There was no trust between them anymore and she knew once she shut the door all of her leverage would be gone.

"Carter I promise," Lori said as she watched the internal doubt began to build up.

Slowly Carter closed the door and Lori drove out of the station as quickly as she could without drawing any extra attention to the car. They drove a ways in silence, an uncomfortable air resting between them. Carter was anxious and eager to her the information she had asked for, but didn't want to push too hard. Lori was unsure and hesitant, wanting to choose the right words. A minute turned to a couple, which turned to ten and then fifteen. Carter was about to say something when Lori broke the silence.

"I knew your Dad," she simply stated before going quiet again.

"Yeah you were a hospice worker on our block. I already knew that."

Lori shook her head. "Before that. I've known David for what seems like forever. Way before you came along or Elizabeth forced herself into his life.

"We met the summer before his sophomore year in college. He was the nicest guy I had ever met, so charming and polite, and by the start of his semester we had fallen in love," she paused for a moment, recalling memories of way back then. She looked over a Carter, shock swept over the girl's face and Lori knew only more would come.

"A few months later I found out I was pregnant. Neither one of us knew what to do, but we decided that living together was the next step so we moved into an apartment near the campus."

"Is that where that photo came from? The one of him sleeping," Carter interrupted.

Lori nodded. "That was taken only a few days before everything happened." She stopped to gather her breath. Carter could see the emotions running wild while the woman tried her best to remain in control.

"You could have told me this when you first gave me the picture."

"Would you really have believed me?"

Carter thought for a moment before shaking her head. She knew she would have accused Lori of lying, and there was still the possibility she was currently lying, but the rawness of her voice and the emotions in her eyes told Carter she was saying the truth.

"I lost the baby only a few short days later and I lost it. David tried his best to keep me the same person as before, but the grief was too unbearable and he left. Which I don't blame him for. I was an absolute mess.

"It was a couple of years later and just by chance we ran into each other. We got to talking and it was like no time had passed at all. But of course it had and by then Elizabeth had wormed her way into his life." Carter flinched slightly at the harshness behind her words when referring to her mother.

"We continued to see one another a little while longer, David was even prepared to break up with her but then she found out she was pregnant with you and Taylor. That news halted everything we had been planning. He told me that he needed to be there for her and the baby and so we tried to stop seeing one another, but we couldn't stay away.

"And for a while all was good again until Elizabeth started to show and David was hit by guilt. He broke it off again but it was different from the time before. He said that he had to give being a family a fair chance. That he needed to focus on raising the baby in the best environment possible, and that wasn't in a broken home.

"But he said that he wanted to be with me, so I agreed to give him some time and we agreed on three years. Three years to raise a kid before he would break it off with Elizabeth and we could finally be together." Lori paused for a moment and looked over to Carter. She had been doing a lot of talking and wanted to make sure that the girl was still following.

"I waited for him, doing odd job throughout the years but also getting into some trouble with the law. David found out about that and had used it as his excuse as to why it wasn't going to work out with us, but I knew the real reason. Elizabeth had managed to sink her claws into him, had somehow tricked him into loving her. He gushed over how great of a mother she was and that he couldn't leave.

"I tried to convince him I would be just as good of a mother, and for the first time since we met I saw uncertainty in his eyes. It was that look that made me feel like I had to prove myself to him. I wanted to prove that I was better. That if our child had survived they would have had a better life than anything Elizabeth was capable of providing.

"So I followed him and found out where you all lived. Got myself a job down the street and ignored David's protests for me to leave the area. I watched from afar as you and Taylor played outside on the porch unsupervised. I could hear your occasional tantrums from inside the house. And I knew I could do better.

"One day you were outside by yourself, Taylor had just ran in to get something, and I walked up to you. I had never gotten close to you before, and when you turned I just knew."

"Knew what?" Carter asked after Lori fell silent.

"I knew that you were my daughter. You were everything I pictured. Your golden brown hair and eyes. Your bright grin and tiny, outgoing personality. It all just clicked and I knew you were always meant to be mine, that we were supposed to be mother and daughter. You were Carter and always would be."

The car fell silent and Lori looked over to the passenger seat to see Carter taking it all in the best she could. Carter felt as if she were drowning. It was the most information she had gotten from a single person since she discovered she had been kidnapped at the police station. Lori turned back to focus on the road but set her hand gently on top of Carter's, to which the girl instantly pulled away.

"You…you just…" Carter shook her head as she couldn't believe the reason she had been given. "I lost thirteen years with my family because you wanted to be better than my mom at raising me. I didn't belong to you. I will NEVER belong to you. I am not your daughter. All those things you mentioned came from my parents. My dark eyes and hair from my dad, and the personality from my strong mother. Not from you."

Tears had begun to well in Carter's eyes. The frustration of everything had been building up and now was threatening to spill over, but she didn't let them fall. She forced herself to choke them back.

"How could you take everything from me?" was all she could manage to ask after her rampage.

"Look at the life I gave you though," she tried, still taken back at Carter's use of the word "mom" when she referred to Elizabeth in her rant.

"Look at the life you gave yourself. This is what you wanted," she replied while shifting in her seat, turning away from Lori and into the window. "I just need to think to myself for a little bit."

"Of course," Lori said, understanding that it was a lot of information to take in and hoping the time would make her come around to see she had only done what was in her best interest.

As Lori flipped on the radio and found a station, Carter let the tears slip down her face. She was scared and sad at the same time. Saddened by everything she had been told, by all the things she had missed growing up with her mom and dad simply because Lori had something to prove. Scared because now she knew that the woman sitting next to her was officially crazy. As she wiped a tear away her thoughts went back to that lottery ticket in the store and she hoped that her mom would be able to figure out what it meant.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Hey everyone hope the holiday season is bringing you all a little bit more joy. This is your last chance if you wanted to try and figure out what those numbers meant on your own because it is all revealed below. I hope you all enjoy. Happy reading.

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><p>It had been a frustrating day of getting nowhere. The lead from the motel that had once looked promising had fizzled out and the search was back to square one. The only clue was that they were possibly going North.<p>

Elizabeth had sat in the living room the entire morning, watching everyone try his or her best but come up with nothing. And eventually she had to escape. As she walked into the hall she noticed how the rest of the house was silent. No music coming from David's office. No noise from the kitchen where she would have expected Taylor. No echoes of video games trailing down the stairs from Grant's room.

As she walked up the stairs she couldn't shake herself of the memory of all their faces when she had returned from the motel without Carter. Taylor and Grant had had such hope in their eyes, but of a shake of her head had erased it all.

At the top of the stairs a small wave of relief washed over her. She could hear a faint humming from Taylor's room and knew she was listening to music. Elizabeth walked closer to her daughter's door and as she listened her heart ached a bit. It wasn't the music Taylor normally listened to, but she recognized it instantly. Taylor was playing one of Carter's favorite CDs. Elizabeth had despised the same songs only a few months prior, as Carter had played them on full blast when she had first arrived just to annoy her. Now though, she would have given pretty much anything to hear it blaring from her room again.

David's raised voice coming from their room pulled her attention from Taylor and to that direction. She could hear he was arguing and was able to make out enough that she knew Toby was on the other end. Toby had never been one of her favorite people and had been steadily declining in her ranks over the past couple of days. David couldn't seem to keep the man away for a second, with calls coming in continually about adding an additional chapter to the book about Carter's second abduction. David's voice escalated before she heard a loud thump and assumed he had thrown the phone at the wall. Wanting to give him time to calm down, she made her way over to Grant's room.

He was the one she was the most concerned about. He had become very quiet from the moment she had told him Carter had been taken again. She knew they had become very close, bonding over their shared humor and feelings of being the outsider of the family. Elizabeth cursed internally at herself at the thought, yet another way she felt she was failing at a parent, two of her kids felt like they didn't belong. As she walked down the hall though she stopped at Carter's room first.

From inside she could hear soft rustling, so slowly she cracked open the door. Tears welled in her eyes as she watched Grant fiddle with trinkets on Carter's desk and dresser. Occasionally he would pick up a photo and smile, or sniff a scarf or hat. Eventually he sat on the corner of her bed and Elizabeth had to muffle the sobs that came once he started to speak.

"Hey Elephant, it's Armadillo. I know you can't hear this but just maybe you'll get the message somehow. I know for a while you wanted to go back to Lori because she was your mom and you loved her more than us. We were all strangers to you then, but I have to believe that now you see us as your family. That you know you belong with us and that you want to come back home. So please Elephant, leave something so mom can find you," he stopped for a moment and laughed to himself as a memory came to mind.

"You already know she's good at following your clues. Remember when she followed all those fake ones to the mall. She was pretty angry with you then, but you have to do the same thing now. Please Carter…" he trailed off and Elizabeth could hear him sniffling to himself.

She decided to give him a minute before going in to comfort him; she didn't want him knowing she had heard such a personal conversation. Just as she was about to push the door open and announce herself to Grant, when there was a flurry of action downstairs. She was torn between wanting to tell her son that everything was going to be okay and seeing if something had come up with her daughter.

Elizabeth glanced towards the stairs and realized that Grant must have heard the commotion as well because by the time she turned back to Carter's room, Grant was at her side.

"What's happening down there?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure. Let's go find out," she replied wrapping her arm around his shoulders.

When they got downstairs everyone was moving a mile a minute. People were frantically typing on their keyboards, papers were being spit out from the printer, Agent Sands was giving directions to multiple agents at once. As Elizabeth continued to observe everything happening in the living room she froze. Her eyes became glued to the computer monitor that was replaying a scene of Carter in a gas station.

Tears instantly welled in her eyes. She had known Carter was okay from her previous note and figured Lori would never intentionally hurt her, but actually seeing her filled Elizabeth with so much relief and hope it was almost too much to take. She realized it was the first time she had actually seen Carter since she had been taken, and though it had only been a few days it felt like an eternity.

"We got a hit off of facial recognition. Security cameras picked this up about five hours North of here. We have local agents headed over there now to survey the area and to ask the cashier more about what he saw," Sands said, startling her from her gaze on the computer.

"It appears Carter may have left something in one of the snack displays near the door," he continued, pointing to the computer as it came to that point in the footage.

A wide smile grew on Grant's face as he looked up to Elizabeth. "She's leaving you more clues."

Elizabeth's face matched his and she pulled him closer and nodded.

"Since everything was purchased with cash we can't be certain what it was, but we will let you know more once the agents get over there," the agent concluded as he walked back to his main station.

Elizabeth watched the clock as the minutes passed by at an agonizingly slow pace. It had only been forty-five minutes, but it felt like much longer. Grant had made his way back upstairs, while David had come down, anxious for more information. They sat next to each other at the dinning room table. He rubbed small, reassuring circles over his wife's back and she leaned into him, both relying on the other for strength as they waited for more information to become available.

Finally agent Sands phone rang and after a few acknowledgements and a "continue a perimeter search" he waived both of them over.

"We know they're driving a car similar to an unmarked. Lori removed the license plate but at least we know what to look for. After talking with the cashier it appears that Carter bought a lottery ticket, and that is what she left behind," Sands told them, earning him a confused look from Elizabeth and David. "We should be getting a scan of it any moment now."

As if on cue and image of a lottery ticket appeared on the computer screen. With a few taps on the keyboard Sands had printed out the picture for the both of them and handed them over.

"Do these numbers mean anything to either of you?"

They both scanned them over and began to shake their heads.

"Nothing I recognize," David spoke up first.

"Yeah me either," Elizabeth followed.

"Okay, well keep looking them over, maybe something will pop out. I've got a special team gathered as well so we can figure out what Carter was trying to get across."

With that the agent left them alone with each other, both continuing to stare at the paper in their hands. They remained silent for a few minutes; each giving their full attention to deciphering what Carter had left them. Elizabeth began to grow slightly frustrated. Her daughter had left her a message that she couldn't seem to figure out and she hated feeling like she was letting her down once again.

"Could these be zip codes or phone numbers?" David asked, grasping at straws to come up with anything.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't think so." She turned to a woman sitting at a computer. "Can I see the full footage from the gas station?"

The woman complied and ran the tape from the beginning Carter and Lori walked inside. Elizabeth kept her eyes on Carter as the girl wandered the aisles a little bit and then she noticed something as Carter's gaze fell on the lottery display.

"There," she said point to the screen. "Play it again."

"I didn't notice anything," David said watching from over her shoulder.

Elizabeth pointed it out again. "There. Carter sees the display and freezes for just a moment before dashing over there. It's like an idea hit her once she saw it. So these numbers mean something simple, she didn't have time to plan anything."

David nodded, understanding what his wife meant and went back to looking as the paper in his hand. He felt out of his element. He was a man of letters and words, not numbers. And that's when it hit him.

"Letters," he mumbled softly.

"What?" Elizabeth asked, turning from the computer and giving him her attention.

"Letters. What if these numbers correspond to their letter order in the alphabet? Carter could be spelling something out," he replied, and with no hesitation they both started to decode the numbers on the ticket.

3-1-18-12-25-19 became C-A-R-L-Y-S

12-1-21-18-5-14 became L-A-U-R-E-N

19-20-5-6-14-19 became S-T-E-F-N-S

"They're names," Elizabeth said in a hushed tone. She was in shock that they had managed to discover what it meant.

"Do you think it's what they're going by now? Carly and Lauren Stevens?" David asked.

Elizabeth paused for a moment to think. She recognized that Lori must have wanted to keep the names close, but keeping the same last name wouldn't be smart so she slowly started to shake her head.

"It's not Stevens, Lori is too smart to use that last name again and Carter would have used a "v" not a "f". " She started to run possible last names through her head before it came to her. "Stephenson. Carly and Lauren Stephenson."

The two of them raced over to where agent Sands stood at his desk and practically forced the paper into his hands. He took a moment to read over all the scribbles before looking up and into their eyes. He could see the slight desperation in their eyes. How much they wanted this to be the answer, how badly they wanted to find their daughter, and normally he would have let his own team finish their decoding but something told him that these names were correct and he couldn't waste any time. Quickly he grabbed the phone and started punching numbers.

"Get these names out to all important outlets. Carly Stephenson and Lauren Stephenson. Possible alias' for Carter Stevens and Lori Stevens…" he continued on but Elizabeth had started to tune him out.

David wrapped his arm around her and as she leaned into him he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"They won't get far now. Carter is going to be home soon," he reassured.

She nodded. They always had seemed one step behind and she hoped that this would give them the advantage they needed.


End file.
